Moon Mission

February 17, 2026 1 min read Add Us On Google Add SciAm NASA will attempt a second “wet dress rehearsal” and simulated launch of its upcoming moon mission on Thursday By Claire Cameron edited by Jeanna Bryner NASA/Brandon Hancock Join Our Community of Science Lovers! NASA has set a date…

During its high-speed return from the moon, the thermal protection system of Orion's crew module must endure blistering temperatures to keep crew members safe. Measuring 16.5 feet (5 meters) in diameter, Orion's heat shield is the largest of its kind developed for missions carrying astronauts. (Image credit: NASA) The high-speed,…

The next-generation spacesuit for NASA’s Artemis III mission continues to advance by passing a contractor-led technical review, as the agency prepares to send humans to the Moon’s South Pole for the first time. Testing is also underway for the new suits, built by Axiom Space, with NASA astronauts and spacesuit engineers recently…

NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first to carry astronauts in the Artemis program, is now targeting a March 2026 launch opportunity after engineers concluded a key prelaunch fueling test at Kennedy Space Center. The delay follows a wet dress rehearsal conducted on Feb. 2, 2026, where teams fully fueled the…

As NASA ramps up the preparation to send four people on a trip around the moon and back, a debate is raging among experts and former astronauts over whether the mission’s spacecraft is as safe as the space agency claims. As soon as March, NASA could launch Artemis II. After…

"We fully anticipated encountering challenges," says Nasa Administrator By Reuters | February 03, 2026 Nasa's next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion crew capsule, rolls to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US January 17, 2026. — Reuters/File Nasa…

In today’s newsletter: House Republican leaders plan a vote to pass a government funding package three days after a shutdown began. NASA delays its mission to send four astronauts on a journey around the moon after issues arose during testing. And “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother was taken from her…

February 3, 2026 2 min read Add Us On Google Add SciAm NASA will review data gathered during a simulated launch of the Artemis II rocket before revealing a new date for its upcoming moon mission By Claire Cameron NASA/Sam Lott Join Our Community of Science Lovers! NASA has delayed…

Houston has a problem. Once again, NASA 's new mega-rocket has suffered a significant leak of explosive hydrogen propellant during a countdown rehearsal. It means plans to launch four astronauts on a mission around the moon have been delayed until March. Lift-off had been scheduled for as soon as Sunday.…

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket stands atop pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. After working around a hydrogen leak at the base of the rocket, engineers spent the day Monday pumping more than 750,000 gallons of supercold liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuel into the 32-story-tall launcher in a dress…